Gunn is a perfect 7-0 against Menlo-Atherton since March of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Gunn Titans will welcome the Menlo-Atherton Bears at 11:00 a.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Gunn will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run last Tuesday, then bounced right back against Castilleja on Tuesday. Gunn was the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over Castilleja. The victory continues a trend for the Titans in their matchups with the Gators: they've now won five in a row.
Violet Hayes made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 3-for-4. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February of 2024.
Makena Smith
| 03/18/25 vs Castilleja | 3 |
| 03/11/25 vs Notre Dame | 0 |
| 03/10/25 @ Silver Creek | 2 |
| 03/04/25 vs Notre Dame | 1 |
| 02/27/25 vs Del Mar | 2 |
| + 6 more games |
In other batting news, Makena Smith was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Allison Novick was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-2.
Gunn kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Menlo-Atherton made easy work of Castilleja on Thursday and carried off an 18-3 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bears.
Like Gunn, Menlo-Atherton also got a great game from a two-way player: Gracy Nava. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off two hits. Nava was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 1.2 stolen bases per game.
In other batting news, Juliana Pandolfo was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Carey Maletis, who scored three runs and stole Two bases. while going 3-for-3.
Menlo-Atherton's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-2. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to strikeouts: they averaged an imposing seven strikeouts in those games compared to only 2.33 in the others. As for Gunn, their win bumped their record up to 5-3.
Both the two teams just can't seem to miss. Gunn has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.4 hits per game. However, it's not like Menlo-Atherton struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.7 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Gunn took their victory against Menlo-Atherton in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 13-6. Will Gunn repeat their success, or does Menlo-Atherton have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
